Long term manual wheelchair users are living longer, fuller lives as a result of innovative medical and technological advances. While the progress has been considerable, there are still areas of significant need in this population. Wheelchair users are over twice as likely to be obese as people in the general population, due to decreased active muscle mass and physical activity. Although the key to fitness and health with wheelchair users is the same as that of the non-disabled population (i.e., diet and exercise), there is a limited availability of wheelchair accessible cardiovascular exercise equipment for this population.
Treadmills are the most popular type of exercise equipment found in gyms and fitness centers. Currently, treadmills are not wheelchair accessible. Limitations to their use by a wheelchair user include: 1) the size of the belt is too small to accommodate the size of most wheelchairs; 2) the belt is raised off the ground, creating a step the wheelchair must climb up; 3) there are significant safety risks of either veering off and hitting the side rails, tipping over backwards when the treadmill is on an incline, or rolling backwards off the rear of the treadmill; and 4) the exercise program settings are not designed around the capabilities of wheelchair users.
Accordingly, what is needed is a treadmill that is accessible to, and safely used by, wheelchair users.